Journal of Food Science and Engineering 5 (2015) 122-129 doi: 10.17265/2159-5828/2015.03.003 D DAVID PUBLISHING Effects of Production and Ingredients on Tahini Halvah Quality Oručević Žuljević Sanja1,MutapNaira2, Nermina Spaho1, Tahmaz Jasmina1,AsimaAkagić1 and Amela Džafić1 1 Food Technology Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 GA-ME-HA d.o.o. Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina Abstract: Tahini halvah is specific confectionery product known in Bosnia and Herzegovina over centuries. It is made of sesame-seed paste (tahini), sugar and soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) extract by certain technological process, with creating needle-like particles which give a specific fiber structure to halvah. Production of tahini halvah in Bosnia and Herzegovina mostly was placed under artisanal conditions by poorly trained staff and was based on experiences and established practice. There is a very few scientific papers deal with ways of production and specific properties of this product in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Main objective of this paper was focused on studying technological process of 4 different samples of tahini halvah (standard tahini halvah, tahini halvah with pistachios, tahini halvah with cacao and black halvah with wheat grits, cacao and nuts). All samples were produced under industrial conditions. Chemical and sensory quality parameters of investigated samples were presented in this paper. Significant differences between samples were found and influenced by different ingredients and technological process. Key words: Tahini halvah, chemical and sensory quality. 1. Introduction soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) extract by certain technological process, with creating needle-like Tahini halvah (TH) is specific confectionery particles which give a specific fiber structure to halvah. product widely used in Bosnia and Herzegovina over Production of tahini halvah was placed mostly under centuries and is available in different forms and artisanal conditions by poorly trained staff and was flavors. It’s a greasy product due to high share of based on experiences and established practice, as tahini paste which contains more than 50% sesame oil. family’s handicraft production. Structure of tahini halvah is fragile and brittle [1]. Sesame seeds, as the main ingredients, add a nutty This product has a long history originates from the taste and a delicate aroma to this product. Besides 16th centiries when came in Bosnia during The making tahini and halvah sesame seeds are used for Ottoman Empire governing. Tahini halvah was very the preparation of rolls, crackers, cakes and pastry popular, even a small street in old part of Sarajevo products in commercial bakeries [3]. called Halvadžiluk—the confectionary bazaars, was Sesame seeds were one of the first crops processed existed until 1908 [2]. for oil as well as one of the earliest condiments. Tahini halvah is olso served across South Asia, Currently, the largest commercial producers of sesame Central Asia, Asia, North Africa, Balkans, Central seeds include India, China and Mexico [4]. Sesame in Europe, Eastern Europe, and Malta. Turkey is the most important annual oil crop and there In Bosnia and Herzegovina tahini halvah is usually are numerous varieties and ecotypes of sesame made of sesame-seed paste (tahini), sugar and adapted to various ecological conditions [5]. Proximate composition of Turkish sesame seeds and Corresponding author: Orucevic Zuljevic Sanja, Ph.D., characterization of their oils have investigated, also associate professor, research field: confectionary technology. Effects of Production and Ingredients on Tahini Halvah Quality 123 However, there is still a very few scientific papers confectionary quality in Bosnia and Herzegovina [12] deal with ways of production and specific properties do not address in detail the quality parameters, of tahini halvah. In Bosnia and Herzegovina this issue especially the maximum content of saponins. Besides, has never been seriously investigated. only simple kinds of tahini halvah are regulated, while According to regulations of confectionary quality in quality of the other specific kinds of this product are Bosnia and Herzegovina [12] tahini halvah belongs to not defined. So, the main goal of this paper was to special group of candy products where quality and investigate quality of four different tahini halvah minimal conditions for insurance quality and storage samples made under industrial conditions. This study of this product are defined. According to current is supposed to contribute better knowing of production regulations tahini halvah definition reads as follows: It and quality of tahini halvah in Bosnia and is product obtained from sugar and tahini paste with Herzegovina and promote industrial and strictly soapwort root extract addition. Three kinds of product controlled making of tahini halvah. are defined: tahini halvah, black halvah and white 2. Material and Methods halvah. Tahini halvah may be yellow-white to grayish in color, fibrous structure, with sesame oil content at Four tahini halvah samples were made in least 22% from sesame paste. Black halvah is dark, GA-ME-HA d.o.o. company in Sarajevo by traditional fibrous structure with sesame oil content at least 20% recipes, under industrial conditions: standard tahini and with nut fruits and cacao powder added. White halvah (SH), tahini halvah with pistachios (PH), tahini halva is hard and sticky mass, white color and with halvah with cacao powder added (CH) and black roasted nut fruits added; soapwort root extract is halvah with wheat grits, cacao and nuts (BH). excluded. 2.1 Samples Production To achieve the characteristic flavor, aroma and consistency in the production of tahini halvah may be Samples production were done through the main used citric acid, foaming agents (gelatin), egg white, steps: making sesame-seed paste tahini (seeds soy protein extract, soapwort roots extract, chocolate cleaning, soaking in salty water for 4-5 hours and and cocoa powder [12]. Liquid extract of soapwort is washing, centrifuging, roasting on 115-120 °C, oftenusedasfoodadditiveintahinihalvahmaking cleaning by air stream, grinding, cooling, fine [13]. As active substance of soapwort liquid extract, grinding and storing), making soapwort liquid extract saponin affects positively the color and consistency of from soapwort root (grinding, cooking in closed tanks the halvah and prevents especially the oozing of the on 115 °C until the viscous liquid with 10% of dry oil from halvah in time by acting as an emulsifier [13]. mater and 1,050 kg/m3 is achieved, and filtration), Soapwort extract contains 11.58%-19.58% total preparing inverted sugar syrup with liquid soapwort saponin which increases importance of soapwort [14]. extract added—3L on 100kg of sugar in closed tanks The classical definition of saponins is based on their under atmospheric pressure, and adjustment and surface activity. Many saponins have detergent mixing (100-120 rpm). Obtained foam is white and properties, give stable foams in water, show hemolytic movable due to specific mass reductionfrom 1,300 to activity, and have a bitter taste [15]. 1,100 kg/m3. Turkish Standard (TS 2590) [16] is standard of Tahini halvah samples generally were produced by tahini halvah in Turkey and total saponin level must 2 different methods (Figs. 1 and 2). Final products be max 0.1% in tahini halvah. werekeepingon18°Cto20°Cand50%RH. Unlike the Turkish Food Codex [16], regulations of Making black halva sample (BH) is presented on 124 Effects of Production and Ingredients on Tahini Halvah Quality Fig. 2. According to main ingredients BH samples coefficients for proteins, lipids and carbohydrates [17]. differed regarding to wheat grits and nuts added. 2.3 Texture-Hardness Beside those differences, BH samples did not contain soapwort extract and lecithin. Sugar syrup and tahini Textural analysis of TH samples was performed by paste share in this sample was 2:1, while this share in puncturing using a TA.TX. Plus Texture Analyzer samples SH, PH and CH was 1:1. (Stabile Micro Systems England, UK). The analyzer was set to measure force during penetration using 2.2 Chemical Analysis cylinder probe (P/0.25 S) and setting travel distance Moisture (%), ash content (%), crude fats (%), on 15 mm and test speed 1 mm/s. The maximum force proteins (%) (N X 6.25), and sucrose were analyzed (N) represented as a measure of hardness. Six [13]. Total carbohydrates (%) were obtained by measurements per each sample were made and mean calculating. All chemical analyses were performed in values with standard deviations (S.D.) were reported. triplicate and mean values with standard deviations (S.D.) were reported. 2.4 Sensory Analysis Energy value (KJ/100g) corresponding to the TH samples sensory evaluation was carried out by available energy was calculated using specific trained 30 assessors (18 females and 12 males) who Sugar and water 1:1 Liquid soapworts Citric acid (0.2% db) Cooking extract (3% db) Tahini mass Foamed sugar mass Lecitin 0.2% Homogenization until nidle like forming appearance Cocoa powder (CH sample) Manual mixing Vanilla aroma (ST, CH, PH samples) Pistachios (PH sample) Cooling Weighing and packaging Final product Fig. 1 Making tahini halva samples SH, CH and PH. Effects of Production and Ingredients on Tahini Halvah Quality 125 Sugar and water 1:1 Tahini paste Citric acid (0.2% db) Cooking 117 °C Wheat grits Adding ingredients and mixing Cacao powder Vanilla aroma